The invention relates to the field of telephony and more particularly to a method and apparatus for selectively sending a false system information tone (SIT) on a telephone line in response to an incoming telephone call. It finds particular application in conjunction with selectively sending the false SIT based on information received over the telephone line about the calling party associated with the incoming telephone call and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the invention is also amenable to other applications.
Telemarketing has increased exponentially in recent times. Many people targeted by telemarketers do not desire to receive or answer the telemarketing calls. Thus, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus that may be used to block telemarketing calls and potentially reduce or eliminate future telemarketing calls.
One method for preventing some telemarketing calls is to have your telephone number removed from the dialing list of the telemarketer. This method, however, involves effort and is only partially effective because new calling lists are constantly generated which reestablish your number as a target.
Another method to block calls is to simply take your phone off the hook when telemarketing calls are undesired. Such a method is undesirable because the method does not permit desired calls to be connected and received. The method also causes the phone to emit a loud off-hook warning signal that may annoy the owner of the phone. Instead of leaving the phone off the hook, a person may use an answering machine or a caller identification (caller ID) device to screen calls. Both of these methods are undesirable because some people do not leave messages, and some numbers cannot be identified by the caller ID device.
In view of these deficiencies, devices have been developed to permit selective blocking of calls. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,388 discloses a method and apparatus for selectively blocking incoming telephone calls. The patent discloses an apparatus that may be programmed to selectively block calls either by time block or by number. The user must, however, spend time to program the system and remember to activate it when the blocking function is desired. Such steps are generally undesired due to the effort required by the user. Thus, a method and apparatus that automatically blocks calls placed from a predictive dialing telemarketing system is highly desirable. Further, the method and apparatus should not require any preprogramming or activation steps. Also, the system must allow desired calls to be connected while still blocking undesired calls.
To more fully understand the concepts of the present invention, it should be understood that most large-scale automated telemarketing systems use predictive or auto-dialers to place the phone calls. These dialers obtain a number to be called from a computer database and place the telemarketing calls for the operator. If a call is connected and a live person responds, the system immediately connects the call to a salesperson, operator, or solicitor who makes a presentation. If the line is unanswered, busy, or answered by an answering machine, the system flags the number and returns to the number at a later time and recalls it. In this manner, the telemarketing system continues to call all programmed numbers until a live person answers. The system also does not waste time having the operator place unanswered calls.
In other situations where the called number has been disconnected or is otherwise no longer in service, the automated telemarketing system removes the number from its computer database. The computer differentiates the status of the number by recognizing special information tones (SITs) used in the U.S. telephone network. The network uses the SITs to provide information to computers in the network. SITs include three precise, sequential tones used to identify recorded announcements provided for ineffective call attempts in the telephone network. There are seven major SIT types, known as SIT1 through SIT7. A telemarketing system is designed to maximize outbound calls and maximize completed calls. Thus, most quality telemarketing systems are designed to recognize SITs. One of the most common SITs is SIT2 which is the intercept SIT. The intercept SIT is used to describe an uncompleted call attempt due to a nonworking number. The intercept SIT begins with a tone of 913.8 Hz that is played for 274 milliseconds. This tone is followed by a second tone of 1370.6 Hz played for 274 milliseconds and completed with a third tone at 1776.7 Hz played for 380 milliseconds. When this SIT is received by a telemarketing system using a predictive dialer, the system notes that the number called is non-working and removes it from its database so that it will not be called again.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,623, commonly assigned to Royal Appliance Mfg. Co., discloses a method and apparatus for defeating a predictive dialing telemarketing system. The apparatus includes a signal generator in the nature of an oscillator that is capable of creating a 914 Hz sine wave that substantially imitates the first tone of an intercept SIT (i.e., SIT2) used by the telephone network to indicate a nonworking number. The oscillator signal is amplified by an amplifier. The imitation signal is selectively sent in response to an incoming telephone call when a controller closes a relay to connect the imitation signal to the telephone line. The controller is prompted to close the relay by an off-hook detector that indicates to the controller when a voice signal is established. In addition to this embodiment, the ""623 patent contemplated the capability to create any of the known SIT sequences in full or in part. The device produced in conjunction with the ""623 patent was powered using a conventional a.c. utility power adapter. However, there is no need to send the imitated SIT to all callers, particularly callers that are known to not be telemarketers.
Devices capable of displaying caller ID information are increasingly common. In fact, caller ID services are one of a group of network-provided enhanced services known as custom local area signaling services (CLASS).
In one common type of caller ID service, a device for displaying caller ID information is equipped with a Frequency Shift Key (FSK) detector, a controller, and a display. When a call is placed to the phone, a Stored Program Control System (SPCS) server situated within the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) activates a corresponding FSK generator also situated within the PSTN to transmit a FSK signal encoding the caller ID information over the telephone line. At the device for displaying caller ID information, when a first ring is detected, the controller enables the FSK detector, which listens for an FSK signal. If an FSK signal is detected before the second ring, it is demodulated to obtain the caller ID information. That information is then displayed. If, however, the FSK signal is not detected before the second ring, the FSK detector is disabled.
In an environment with many users of the same telephone, it can become quite irritating to always answer the phone only to find out the call is not for you. Some people resort to not answering at allxe2x80x94running the risk of missing potentially important calls. Existing caller ID devices can solve this problemxe2x80x94if you are near enough to the unit to see it.
Notably, no device currently implements selectively sending a false SIT over a telephone line based on caller ID information for the incoming telephone call. It is desirable to provide a device that includes the features of sending a false SIT over a telephone line while displaying caller ID information. Furthermore, no device currently combines the features of selectively sending a false SIT with distinctive ringing or distinctive indicator cues based on the caller ID information.
Thus, there is a particular need for a device that selectively sends a false system information tone (SIT) over a telephone line based on caller identification (caller ID) information. There is also a particular need for a device that combines the added feature of distinctive ringing or distinctive indicator cues based on the caller ID information. The invention contemplates such a device that overcomes at least one of the above-mentioned problems and others.
In one aspect of the invention, an embodiment of an apparatus in communication with a telephone line is provided. In this embodiment, the apparatus includes a base unit, the base unit including a telephone line interface module, a caller ID module, a programmable oscillator module for selectively generating a false SIT, a first display device, and a first controller.
In another aspect of the invention, another embodiment of an apparatus in communication with a telephone line is provided. In this embodiment, the apparatus includes a base unit, the base unit including a data storage module, a telephone line interface module, a caller ID module, a first programmable oscillator module for selectively generating a false SIT, a first display device, a first controller, and one or more control devices.
In still another aspect of the invention, a method for selectively sending a false SIT on a telephone line in response to an incoming telephone call is provided. The method including the steps of: a) detecting a ring on the telephone line for an incoming telephone call; b) receiving information over the telephone line about a calling party associated with the incoming telephone call; c) determining if a false SIT is to be sent over the telephone line call based on the information received about the calling party; and, d) if it is determined that the false SIT is to be sent: i) determining when the false SIT is to be sent over the telephone line; ii) generating the false SIT; and, iii) sending the false SIT over the telephone line at the determined time in response to the incoming telephone call.
One advantage of the invention is that false SITs are not generated for incoming telephone calls for which false SITs are known to not be required.
Another advantage of the invention is that distinctive information about an incoming telephone call may be presented visually and/or audibly to users before the telephone is answered.
Still other benefits and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the description of the invention provided herein.